My Commons Life

News & features about the Vanderbilt Commons from the students who live here

Features

MCL Quiz: Which Housing Option is Right for You?

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It’s the beginning of Spring Semester, and the deadlines for housing applications are growing ever closer.

If you’re anything like me, you have NO idea what you’re going to do for housing next year. With so many options, choosing housing can be an extremely overwhelming process.

Instead of having to scour the entire OHARE (Office of Housing and Residential Experience) website to learn the ins and outs of every single residence hall, living learning community, and housing option, I’ve done the work for you.

Take this quiz to find out which housing option is the best fit for you, your wants, and your needs!

MCL Top 5 Best Parts of the Fall Semester

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With almost a full semester completed here at Vanderbilt, it can be easy to forget the things that made our first few months so great. So let’s stop and take a look back at the Top 5 Best Parts of the Fall Semester.

5. Football Games

In spite of the fact that the Commodores went 2-10 this season, going to the football games was a highlight of the semester. Spending a Saturday cheering on my team with my friends was something I thoroughly enjoyed, and I look forward to doing it again for the winter and spring sports.

4. The Scenery

We live on a beautiful campus, and I hope to never stop appreciating it. Whether it was the lush greenery of the summer or the vibrant colors of the fall, I always felt in touch with nature. Even many of the beautiful buildings like the Wyatt Center, Kirkland Hall, and Furman Hall (known by many as “the castle”) further accentuate the visual appeal of campus.

3. $50 Meal Money

Although it may have been a brief six days, we all remember this time well. Receiving $50 per day to buy food was a great way to start off the semester. On top of that, many of us got to know the people who are now our closest friends over those meals which, I think, is even better than the food itself.

2. My Commons Life

This one might be a little specific to me, but I still wanted to put it on the list. It has been an amazing experience working with this amazing staff and writing for you every week. I truly hope the content we publish has been a enjoyable part of your semester, and I look forward to writing more pieces in the spring.

1. New Lives

Whether you just graduated high school or were coming off a gap year, whether you came from across the country or just outside of Nashville, whether you walked in knowing exactly what you wanted to do or you were undecided, we all arrived in August ready to start our new lives. This has been a semester of defining and redefining our identities, our paths, our stories. I love where my journey has taken me in the last four months, and I know that I am nowhere near my final destination. I hope the same is true for you.

MCL Top 5 Worst Parts of the Fall Semester

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These last few months have not always been easy. As we approach the last challenge of our first semester at Vanderbilt – finals week – let’s take a moment to remember all the things that made the transition to college life a bit more difficult. So here are the Top 5 Worst Parts of the Fall Semester: may we leave them in the past where they belong.

5. Campus Dining

You knew this was going to make the list. We were told Vanderbilt had some of the best dinging in the country, but our experience during the first semester did not live up to the hype. Between long lines and limited options, this is a part of my experience I would rather move on from.

4. The T-Shirt Line

I am going all the way back to our first weekend here for this one but, I think it is still worth noting. Waiting in line in the hot, humid air for over an hour on a weekend when we were all extremely busy was not the best use of time. The worst part was that after standing there for that long period of time, all we did was pull some ink across a shirt and watch it dry. Yes, we stood in the heat for hours just so we could literally watch paint dry. It is no wonder why this activity made it on this list.

3. The Squirrels

I do not care how cute you think the squirrels are, they are little monsters. At first I thought they were adorable and harmless, but I was wrong. They are aggressive and vicious and arrogant. Just the other day, one of them looked me dead in the eyes and started yelling at me from inside a recycling bin. They have no fear, and I am confident they are plotting something terrible.

2. Laundry Wars

No matter what side of this conflict you were on, you suffered. Whether someone removed your laundry from the dryer while it was still wet, or you had to wait a half hour to put your clothes in the wash because someone else had not taken them out yet, we all paid the price for a limited number of washers and dryers. Even those of us who washed our clothes at non-peak times still dealt with the weekly passive-aggressive laundry-related messages in the house group chats that defined Sunday afternoons. None of us came out clean on the other side of this one.

1. Allergies

Many of us grew up in a very different climate than that of Tennessee. Combine that with Nashville’s constant oscillation between 40 and 70 degree days and you have a perfect storm for a lot of bad allergies. Many of us spent much of the semester feeling under the weather which detracted from our school and social lives. If feeling a little bit sick is not enough, thanks to COVID there was always an extra moment of panic every time you sneezed with the thought crossing your mind: “Will I be locked in quarantine for two weeks?” It is sad enough when someone gets sick; they should not have to worry about their academic and social lives too.

So here’s to a healthier semester, a semester with more choices and less lines in our dining halls, and a semester without aggressive laundry messages and even more aggressive rodents. So let us celebrate the end of the Fall Semester and the beginning of something better. I look forward to seeing y’all in the new year.

Top 5 Christmas Songs to Add to YOUR Playlist

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Yuletide carols being sung by… you in your dorm shower???

‘Tis the season to break out the tinsel and those textbooks, amirite?!?!?! While you are seeking the motivation to start studying for finals next week, maybe get the ball rolling with some festive jingles. In fact, I have some song suggestions. Some of you may have heard of these bangers before and some of you haven’t. I want to promote the talents of some lesser-known singers and the lesser-known songs of some relatively-famous people, so STEP ASIDE MARIAH CAREY!

  1. Feliz Navidad by Walk Off the Earth

This Canadian indie pop band released an acoustic version of this Spanish classic! The music video is quirky, cute, and one-of-a-kind. The five of them are gathered around a guitar, either plucking strings, drumming on the base of the guitar, tuning the instrument, or holding it up. The absence of electrical amplification, the harmonies, and snappiness make the tune something to salsa to!

2. Winter Wonderland by Blanca

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Blanca showcases her pipes and playfulness with this R&B spin on the Christmas classic. She really gets your shoulders rolling and feet shuffling. Go show this girl some love and check out this song!

3. Thank God It’s Christmas by Queen

The famous rock band Queen has a lot of hits, but not many know about their one Christmas song. Freddie Mercury’s ever-so-iconic dramatic flair and the slow pace of the instrumentals make this song a classic. I haven’t the slightest idea why this track isn’t more popular.

4. The Very First Christmas by Spongebob Squarepants (and the rest of the Bikini Bottom gang)

If you don’t know this song, I am concerned for your mental and emotional well-being. The classic cartoon characters from our favorite underwater fictional world sing a silly, yet catchy Christmas carol, complete with Spongebob and Patrick’s cheer, Squidward’s pessimism, and Mr. Krabs’s falsetto.

5. Cheetah-licious Christmas by the Cheetah Girls

The *arguably* greatest girl group of the twenty-first century dropped one Christmas album and dipped. This track is sooooo GOOD. After reading this article, it is absolutely necessary that you listen to this song. My words alone can not even begin to even introduce the reasoning behind this tune’s greatness. You’re just going to have to listen to it yourself.

I am so honored to have been able to introduce all the My Commons Life fans to these slept-on masterpieces of Christmas music. I hope that by adding these five songs to your Christmas playlist that THIS CHRISTMAS, will be, a very special CHRISTMAS, for meeeeeeee (and you)!

A Letter to the Class of 2025

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Dear Class of 2025,

I cannot believe it is December already. Whether it has felt long or short, our first semester at Vanderbilt is quickly coming to a close. So before you become fixated on your finals and Winter Break and next semester, I challenge you to look back at the past few months and reflect.

Think back to all the people you met. If you were like me, you did not know anyone when you stepped foot on campus in August. What changed? How did you get to know the people you are closest with? Are there people you were close with when the year started that you do not see as often any more? Ask yourself if there is anyone else you would like to get closer with. I assure you it is not too late.

Think about the classes you took. Consider the subjects you enjoyed and even those you disliked. Are you majoring in what is most interesting to you? If not, do not be afraid to adjust or completely change your major. I already have, and I am glad I did it.

Think of how your transition into this phase of your life has gone. What have you done that you enjoyed the most? How about the things you wish you had done? There is still plenty of time to go do those things be it in these next three weeks or in the Spring Semester.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank all of you for making this such an amazing semester. I would be lying if I said that I was not nervous when I moved in. The community here calmed those nerves in no time. I know my and others’ experiences here are due in large part to each and every one of you. So one more time: thank you.

I wish all of you the best of luck these next few weeks and I look forward to spending the next few years with you.

Best wishes,

Daniel Sak

LOSING WISDOM (…teeth)

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Thanksgiving Break — a great time to relax, catch up on sleep, enjoy time with family, and eat way too much food.

…oh, and to get your wisdom teeth removed!

When I first told my friend (and fellow MCL team-member) Daniel that I needed to get my wisdom teeth out, his immediate response was: “Are you sure you can afford to lose any wisdom?” ( thanks @Daniel <3 )

X-ray image of my teeth.

After waiting five months for an appointment, my oral surgeon was finally able to schedule me in for wisdom tooth removal surgery.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Obviously, this date was not ideal for a few different reasons: I had to leave school early to fly home the night before my early morning surgery, I had to take my Chem Exam early, and (most tragically) my ability to eat copious amounts of delicious homecooked food on Thanksgiving was greatly impeded.

On the way to surgery!

To make it to my surgery on time, I had to wake up at 6:30 A.M. Thanks to the time zone difference between South Carolina (my home state) and Nashville, this correlated to 5:30 A.M. in Central Time! At that point, I was honestly looking forward to the anesthesia for the sole fact that it would put me back to sleep…

Waiting in the operating room…

After I got settled in the operating room, the nurses hooked me up to a machine that monitored my blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. When the surgeon finally arrived, it was time for the IV fluids to be administered. Unfortunately for me, it took three tries for them to successfully insert the IV. My arms are still bruised!

Last moments before surgery 😳

It didn’t take long for the anesthesia to knock me out completely. I don’t remember much after the team inserted the IV, but apparently the surgery went extremely smoothly, taking only 20 minutes!

Right after we left the clinic, I wanted to make a vlog for this MCL post:

Of course, I wanted to update all my friends and let them know I didn’t die on the operating table:

On the 40 minute drive home, I would NOT shut up about how much I hated the gauze, which was put in my mouth to stop the bleeding. Luckily, I had some great analogies to describe the feeling:

Although I can’t fit it all into this short post, I have TONS of embarrassing footage that I’m sure my family will use to blackmail and torture me for years to come. From crying about my cat that died a few months ago to snarky insults to nonsensical rambling, I certainly put on a show that amused and entertained my parents.

Before I went to bed to sleep off the lingering effects of the anesthesia, I had one last thing that MCL needed to know:

Top 5 Places to Nap on Campus

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In high school, I was a really big napper. Every day after school, I would take a 2-3 hour nap out of exhaustion; it didn’t matter if I came home at 3pm or at 6pm – the naps were fixed in my weekday schedule. I thought that college would be similar. 

For me, naps in my dorm haven’t been incredibly realistic. With classes, food, and optimal study spaces on main campus, it’s too much work to travel back and forth. So, I found myself taking 20-minute power naps wherever I could to re-energize. Here are the top 5 places I’ve napped on campus: 

  1. Rand Booths

Sometimes, snatching a green booth on Rand’s first floor is more competitive than getting into Vanderbilt. When I’m lucky enough to sit on arguably the best location at Rand, I usually end up doing a bit of studying after my meal. More than once, this study session has led to nap time, and the booths are cushioned enough for a twenty-minute recharge. As someone who is shorter than the average person, fetal position in these booths is pretty doable. Although Rand booths earn the fifth position on my list, there are a couple of downsides to note: the lack of privacy (you’ll definitely get some stares, albeit unbothered), lack of space, and lack of silence (!!!).

  1. Sarratt Center’s 3nd Floor

Sarratt 3 is a gem, and it is definitely a worthy contender against the Rand booths. Although it only has two longer couches, the real prizes are the cushioned seats. Sometimes, I like to put another seat facing the one I’m on, so I have somewhere to prop my legs. The location has a more controlled volume, so it’s better to nap than it is at Rand. Also, I’ve never been inside the Multicultural Lounge on Sarratt 3, but it does look like a great place to rejuvenate after a long day of writing essays!

  1. Kissam Center’s 2nd Floor

I can’t really count how many times I’ve fallen asleep on Kissam’s 2nd floor. In terms of privacy, it’s a hit or miss; you rarely ever see more than two groups of people at each corner of the floor. The couches are fairly comfortable, and the building itself is lovely. It’s usually best to go before the dinner rush, but it’s difficult to tell now that the Kissam Kitchen is open for both lunch and dinner. Win for our stomachs but not for naps. 

  1. The Baseball Glove Lounge

Located on 1U of Sarratt, the Baseball Glove Lounge is a severely underrated haven. Yet, it’s honestly one of the best places to nap! You find so many tired students here, that napping on one of their comfortable couches is not uncommon. They’re probably the softest seats on campus, and it’s incredibly quiet. Paired with its library-esque ambiance, its isolation from other parts of the building really develops a sort of calming atmosphere. What more can you ask for?

  1. Wilson’s Cushioned Seats

After the two Macroeconomics exams I took these past few months, I immediately passed out on one of the cushioned seats. Maybe it was my exhaustion from studying, but I swear those were the best naps I’ve taken on campus. Wilson is fairly quiet after classes are held, and even then, finding students napping one of the chairs is pretty ingrained in your day-to-day views. 

Honorable mention:

Stevenson Library

Stevenson Library is the only library on campus that is open 24/5, and for a lot of students – especially those in Gen Chem and Calculus – this is an essential asset for a passing grade. If you’re taking a STEM class, chances are you’ve probably napped here – whether it’s at one of the personal booths or among the open seating. Personally, I think the Stevenson Library is really depressing, so I try to avoid it unless I have a really big exam. Nonetheless, it does the trick: it’s quiet, semi-comfortable, private (if you’re in a booth), and reasonably spacious. 

Thoughts on a Thanksgiving Break Spent on Campus

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Alternatively titled: I had overnight oats for breakfast for a week.

I spent Thanksgiving break on campus—so here are some of the not very exciting “highlights.”

Making decisions

To do work, or not to do work, that is the question.

When faced with difficult decisions such as these (or other life-changing questions!) I was given the perfect tool to assist me in such predicaments.

Everyone say thank you to TikTok.

(how it works is that you ask a yes/no question before throwing a pen into the bottle/cup and if it makes it in that means yes)

By the way, for the ones curious, the answer is always to not do work. You’re welcome for the resource/fortune telling/horoscope/obscure reading from whatever gods. My screen time may or may not have doubled over break 😀

Overnight oats

My abundance of oatmeal from the Sunday night Munchie Mart sprees was finally seeing some progress this week. The thought of having oatmeal every breakfast made me feel like I was speeding up my inevitable doom towards becoming a boring old man. Obviously, that was not what we wanted.

Instead, I had overnight oats (made simply with two things of oatmeal, (almond) milk, packets of sugar and honey finessed from our favorite dining halls). Surprisingly, they were filling and I have yet to get bored of them. Additionally, the need to prepare them the night before made me feel more obligated to make sure I had breakfast consistently—couldn’t let me hard work go to waste after all. Even if it seemed repetitive, I tried to spice it up as much as I could: chocolate milk, to-go peanut butter packs (all from our local Munchie Mart!) that made the overnight oats different every morning.

Even after break, making overnight oats might be something I’ll continue to do. Low effort, tastes good, and versatile—what more could you ask for?

Doing laundry

To the endless people fighting over to do laundry on the Friday before break, I hope you did find yourself a washer to do your laundry before you left for Thanksgiving.

I however, enjoyed my very empty laundry room all to myself over break.

The joys of being able to use four washers (out of five!) at once while not having to feel guilty about being inconsiderate at all? Wow, that’s tough to beat.

Even better, I fell asleep and left my laundry in the washers for maybe a little while after they finished and there were no messages in the house GroupMe telling me to get my laundry. Truly, what a dream to live.

When will I experience such bliss again? Only time will tell.

Doing literally anything else

One of the few things I wanted to do over break: get a haircut.

Haircut? Not got.

Final thoughts

Was this the mental health break I needed? Definitely. Now we gear up for one last stretch—we are somehow very close to finals which is ᵘⁿˢᵉᵗᵗˡᶦⁿᵍ.

It was surprisingly not lonely and also really nice to be a little less considerate. There’s no one to look mildly presentable to, it was fine to have the room messier without a roommate, lectures to feel obligated to attend. Honestly, the lack of people being energetic and lively did make this just feel like a break. As people return to campus, it already feels like this happy land of peace and quiet has slipped between my fingers and away.

Simply, maybe I am really just an introvert—and this was just my dream.

People at Commons: Thanksgiving Reflection

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You may be surprised that the Commons Center hosts a wide variety of students. The person sitting across from you in the lounge may even be a master student in disguise. Here lies a randomly-selected group of people who were at Commons. They revealed their plans for Thanksgiving break.

Rhylee Tucker (left), George Adae-Mensah (right)

Rhylee, a first-year, is in the College of Arts and Sciences and plans on majoring in Theatre. She is from the Hank house.

“I am going back home to Oklahoma.”

George, a first-year, is in the College of Arts and Sciences and plans on majoring in Medicine, Healthy, and Society. He is from the North house.

“[I am] flying back home to Atlanta. I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving and will visit [some] friends from high school.”

Andres Antada (left), Vicki McMillen (right)

Andres is a sophomore in the Next Steps program.

“I can’t wait to spend time with [my] family.”

Vicki McMillen is also a sophomore here at Vanderbilt. She looks forward to connecting with her family.

Madonna Agaiby (left), Sonia Srikanth (right)

Madonna, a first-year, is still considering what to major in. She is from the Sutherland house.

“I will definitely spend time with my family and friends. I want to relax and not focus too much on coursework.”

Sonia, a first-year, is in the College of Arts and Sciences and plans on majoring in Neuroscience. She is from the Sutherland house.

“I’m going home to see my family. I am going to try to get ahead in my courses [over the break].”

Sally Sarker (left), Lauren Mitchum (right)

Sally is a front desk associate at the Commons Center.

“I am going back home and spending time with family.”

Lauren is also a front desk associate at the Commons Center.

“I will also be going back home and Black Friday shopping.”

Julia Shelbourne

Julia is part of the Commons Center dining staff.

“I will be cooking dinner for my two daughters and four grandkids.”

Andre Carter

Andre is a senior majoring in Communications.

“I am going to be working at Woodard Brothers in downtown Nashville. I also plan on [dedicating more time] towards community service.”

Joy Polk (left), Tiffany Tran (right)

Joy is a first-year masters student in quantitative methods.

“I’m going home to Texas. I might make a pie; I normally bake a lot of deserts.”

Tiffany is also a first-year masters student in quantitative methods.

“I am going to be in California with my family. This year, I am the one making the Thanksgiving dinner.”

Carol Nelson

Carol is an Ambassador of the Commons.

“I’m going to go to my son’s [house] for dinner here in Nashville. He’s actually cooking for me this year. All the other years, I was the one cooking for him.”

Conclusion

Well, it looks like this Thanksgiving will not lack family get-togethers. Many students and staff have mentioned utilizing this break as a time to relax and destress. Though you may want to get ahead to prepare for finals soon after the break, be sure to enjoy your time off and dedicate some time for yourself.